Saturday, June 30, 2012

Scared Silly fans – what can I say – June has just been a killer month for my schedule and I was simply unable to devote time proper to writing a movie review this month. I will do my best to get back on track in July.

In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy this musical interlude from The Brian Sisters – a singing teen trio popular in the 1930s and ‘40s (you can learn more about them by clicking here). Here from a public domain “Soundie” they sing a great Halloween-themed tune called “The Boogie Woogieman” – stick with this, some great spooky imagery as it rolls along – ENJOY!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Hey Scared Silly fans - I have an extra-special request of you: if you love horror-comedies (and you wouldn't be here if you didn't), please consider supporting writer-cartoonist Lea Hernandez' Kickstarter fundraiser to help get her wonderful web-comic series, "The Garlicks" published as a graphic novel.

Hernandez is a veteran who has written, edited, lettered, and colored comics for the likes of Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Oni, Disney & Image. She's also previously published five graphic novels, re-written and lettered several manga products and won a few awards. You can read more about Lea when you click here and here.

Now Lea brings the world The Garlicks, a fun and funny series for young adults and up that provides a new twist to vampire lore, presenting adolescent and teenage vampires in a whimsically inventive fashion.

Here is the description of the series from Lea's official site:

"The Garlicks is told from the point of view of Pandora, a vampire with zero vampire abilities and the big sister of baby Pamila (who’s usually called Ham), who seems to have gotten everything Pandora didn’t, like being able to shapeshift into an adorable flying fish and eat meat.

Pandora turns to her passion, making comics, and chooses her family as her muses: the exhausting Ham, her father Vourdain, (a flower-eating barista), her mother Olive (who is butcher), and their house/business, Orange Espresso and Meats."

Rounding out the cast are Maxim, a boy who can see monsters, and "three rock-stupid but very dangerous demon hunters."

So how can you help? Easy, just donate to the Kickstarter fundraiser - you can find out how by clicking here.

You can can donate any amount you'd like (although I'd recommend the $25 level - that gets you an autographed copy of the printed graphic novel plus your name published in the book's acknowledgments, among other nifty goodies.

Now enjoy this video that will tell you a little more about the project:

You may be saying to yourself, "So what - you've read one Paul Castiglia interview, you've read them all!" Ah, but this one is different. I'm known for waxing rhapsodic over films from the 1920s through the 1960s, but in this interview, you'll get to hear me sing the praises of films from the 1970s, '80s and today as well!

One of the films I single out for special mention is that of my fellow Jerseyan and one of my favorite directors, certainly an influence on my sense of humor, the great Joe Dante and his underrated film, "The 'Burbs." I only just saw it for the first time recently.

Remember my essay, "The Old Dark Anachronism" where I theorized that it may be just about impossible to do a plausible "old dark house" film set in contemporary times without it feeling like a throwback? Well, turns out Dante pulled it off in 1989.

If all goes as planned, next up from me will be a review of a more traditional horror-comedy short from 1945 that may not break any new ground but manages to pull out all the stops due to its leads, Andy Clyde and our old friend Dudley Dickerson - look for a review of "Spook to Me" here soon.

...and right now, look for the trailer to Joe Dante's deserving-of-rediscovery horror-comedy, "The 'Burbs":

ARE YOU READY TO BE SCARED SILLY?

This blog is a companion piece to Paul Castiglia's forthcoming book of the same name, all about horror-comedy films like the classic features "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein," the Bowery Boys’ “Master Minds” and Bob Hope's "The Ghost Breakers;" plus short subject spook-spoofs by comedy legends including Laurel & Hardy, the Little Rascals and the 3 Stooges; and such low-budget gems as "Zombies on Broadway" and "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla."

The book will include a foreword by noted film and TV character actor, monster movie memorabilia collector and spook show reenactor Daniel Roebuck.

About Me

Paul Castiglia is a veteran comic book creator, having written and edited several comic books as well as compiling trade paperback collections. He has also written pop culture articles and essays for magazine and book publications, and done research for special projects related to vintage entertainment.

His past forays into horror-comedy include providing a chapter to the book MIDNIGHT MARQUEE ACTOR SERIES: VINCENT PRICE about the comedic horror films that Mr. Price co-starred in with Peter Lorre, and writing the comic book series ARCHIE'S WEIRD MYSTERIES for several years (based on the animated cartoon show of the same name and recently collected in paperback form).

Oh yeah, Paul's dad is the godfather of The Misfits' Jerry Only, further cementing his "horror business" credentials. :)